Review: South Tyneside International Magic Festival

The Evasons who appeared at South Tyneside International Magic Festival (Image: Craig Leng Photography)

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For the performers on the packed bill of the gala show at this year’s South Tyneside International Magic Festival, there can’t have been a more daunting audience than having to perform in front of their peers.

So it shows the standard of the magicians who took to the stage that they were met with rapturous applause and enthusiasm. The festival is an event open to the public but also includes a “trade” convention where magicians from across the globe attend to take part in master classes and literally learn the tricks of the trade.

While it’s unlikely that there were many illusions that the professionals hadn’t seen before in one form or another, I suspect even they would have been completely stumped by the stars of the show – North American couple, the Evasons.

Their mind-reading act was one of the most incredible displays this reviewer has ever witnessed – reading numbers from bank notes, guessing occupations, getting names absolutely right time after time.

The only explanation for their accuracy would have been if every single person in the audience had been planted there, which obviously wasn’t the case.

Compered by the fast thinking John Archer, the night kicked off with “time travelling” Victorian illusionists Morgan and West and Hollywood favourite Handsome Jack,

Old style magic that we’d seen a thousand times before – but no less welcome because of that – was brought to life by Guy Barrett and Company who brought a new edge to the trick of separating his assistant into three parts.

As usual the South Magic International Magic Festival never disappoints, with a night of great fun and illusion – and that’s a great trick in itself.